Lost & Slowly Found
by Writer55
Summary: Blaine Anderson has been missing for five years. No one expected Sebastian to find him where he did. Rated "M" for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Familiarity

Chapter 1: Familiarity

It was the voice that drew him; hauntingly familiar and completely sorrowful. He normally avoided walking, prefering to take a cab or to the horror of many, attempt to drive the traffic that was Manhattan. Coming out of his usual coffee haunt, Sebastian Smythe was going to hail one of the many New York taxis lining the street when the song had drifted on the cold November breeze and had ensnared him like the siren songs which almost led Odysseus to his doom.

With a quick glance at the sky, he deemed that the forecasted snow would hold off a bit longer and began walking towards the melodious sounds eminatting from the corner. As he drew closer, his gaze took in the body huddled against a shop window, clutching a battered guitar, a dog lying next to him on the spread blanket.

The man, as the sweet tenor voice could attest, continued strumming, eyes closed as he allowed the music to take him far away allowing Sebastian to study the obvious talented singer. The guitar case, open and filled with only a few dollars, was as worn and battered as the guitar. The man was wearing several layers of clothing, attempting to suppress the November chill of winter in New York City. Like his guitar, his clothes were scruffy and worn as well as obviously dirty. He looked to be wearing most if not all of his available wardrobe and yet Sebastian could still see the minute shivers of cold which had seeped into bones. His hair was long, matted and obviously curly, not having seen a barber or a wash for who knew how long which the man attempted to tame under a dirty beeny. His face was covered in a long scruffy beard. Both hair and beard were coal black. It was was when the singer opened his eyes, though, that Sebastian felt all air leave his body in a rush. He could recognize those honey-hazel eyes anywhere. Sebastian was starring into the homeless face of Blaine Anderson.

**A/N: Should this story be continued? Reviews are love.**


	2. Chapter 2: Different Course

**A/N: **So I've gotten some reviews and lots of follows for this story and have a new chapter ready! Thanks to everyone for their support; it keeps the muse happy.

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_Sebastian was staring into the homeless face of Blaine Anderson_.

Blaine let his gaze rise and take in the expensive Italian shoes standing in front of him. He kept singing and strumming, keeping the excitement that maybe he would get enough money from this observer to actually buy himself and Milo something from their favorite street vendor from clouding his performance. He knew he shouldn't even be hoping that the man would donate something; money in his case had dwindled since the summer tourist season had ended. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten something he hadn't scavenged from the garbage cans littering the streets of New York.

Frowning as he finished the song and the owner of the shoes hadn't moved, Blaine let his gaze wander up to the man's face. Looking into the green eyes, Blaine felt a jolt of recognition followed quickly by sheer panic. He stood abruptly, dislodging the dog at his side and scrambled to stuff his pockets; the instinct to flee guiding his frenzied movements of stuffing his guitar back into his case and getting away from the known stranger because no one, especially this man from his past, was suppose to know him. His anonymity had been his saving grace all these years; the only thing keeping his shattered life together and now, one cold windy day in November on a street corner in one of the largest cities in the continental U.S. his life once again stood on the edge of the abyss and he refused to fall again.

Breath coming in frantic gasps that the reality of what he had endured for the last five years was at least partially known now and soon there would be others, he knew. Others seeking him out, trying to understand what had led him to this place and time; these circumstances that should never have come to be. The very thought of their disappointment caused the panic attack he was trying to force down further to the forefront. He grabbed his rucksack, guitar case and the dirty blanket he had been sitting on and ran, whistling a high note to the dog he had been curled up with once, ordering the animal to follow.

Blaine Anderson ran from his past and the man who would and could bring everything crashing back into reality. He ignored the cry of his name echoing on the breeze, the same breeze which had drawn this man to him in the first place.

* * *

"Blaine!"

Sebastian watched as the man scrambled to collect his belongings and ran. He knew Blaine had recognized him and wondered, worried, why it would send his friend into a panic. There was no reason Blaine would have to be upset seeing him. They had repaired their relationship after the slushie fiasco their junior year and had been best friends right up until graduation with Blaine heading to New York City to be with Kurt and attend NYU and his own goal Yale law.

They had lost touch soon after, both being swept up in the routines as well as work required in their educations. He had only become aware that something had gone wrong for Blaine after receiving a phone call from Cooper about an attack and Blaine being hospitalized. He had taken the first train out and stayed with both Cooper and Kurt (when the latter bothered to show up at the hospital to visit) waiting for Blaine to wake up. When he did, Sebastian had been reassured everything was fine and had returned to Yale, ignoring the doubt he felt about the entire situation, especially that everything was fine.

Weeks later, he got another frantic phone call from Kurt which had surprised him. The other man was upset, crying hysterically, asking if he had heard or seen Blaine. The feeling he had been supressing since his visit to New York flared, and he tried to calm Kurt down to get an explanation about what the hell was happening. Kurt had refused to answer, hanging up to continue his calls to all of Blaine's friends, looking for the wayward man.

That night was the last night anyone heard from Blaine Anderson until five years later, during a cold November morning in the bustle of New York City, a chance encounter on a street corner had thrown everything on a different course because Sebastian swore, as he watched the retreating figure, that Blaine would not be walking out of his life again, no matter what he had to do.

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**A/N: Um...so yeah. What do you think? Reviews are love.**


	3. Chapter 3: Death by Cold

**A/N: **To everyone who has left a review, are following this story, or just plain following me. You people rock! Thank you for your support, and I'm still working on trying to find a happy medium for regular updates. Ironically, even _I _don't know where this story is going yet so we'll all be surprised together. J

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Blaine wanted to avoid his spot where he had seen Sebastian, and he had managed it for two days before caving in. He knew that it was prime location for foot-traffic and had fought off several of the other homeless to continue his claim when he had first inherited it from Richard after his friend had passed two winters ago in the brutal cold.

They hadn't been able to get into a shelter after waiting for hours, forced to return to their makeshift cardboard home in the park. Richard and he had huddled together for hours, trying to maintain the warmth of their bodies together. The snow storm that night had been particularly brutal and when they had finally managed to drift to sleep, it was due more to the cold than being extremely tired. The next morning, Blaine had realized upon trying to wake his friend and mentor that the other man had surcome to hypothermia. Blaine had gathered his belongings, kissed Richard good-bye with tears sliding down his face, and left their "home". Using some spare change, he had stopped on the corner and called in the death to the local coroner and had watched from afar as they picked up Richard's body. He had never returned to the park again.

As the wind picked up, Blaine huddled closer to Milo, trying to conserve the body heat the dog was emanating to keep them both warm. He had wrapped the tattered blanket around them both as best he could, absently noting that it would have been a good idea to get in line at the shelter, but knowing that they would never allow Milo through the door and he refused to abandon his only friend. Fingers numb from cold, he hadn't even attempted to pull the guitar from his case, knowing that he wouldn't be able to strum anything.

Sneezing violently, he sighed softly to himself, knowing that the cold that he had been desperately hoping wouldn't materialize wasn't going to let him out of its grasp this year. Blaine was aware that he would need to rustle up as much change as possible and trying to buy some sort of cough and cold medicine. His first winter on the streets, he had developed pneumonia and it seemed to return with a vengeance every year. It was how he and Richard had met; the older man coming across Blaine huddled on a park bench trying to stay warm, wheezing and coughing uncontrollably. Richard had hauled him off to the free clinic without much of an introduction and had saved his life. They had stuck together after that, Blaine learning the ways of living on the streets from his new friend. They had watched out for each other, making sure that they each saw day-light every day.

He began to cough, tears springing to his eyes at the discomfort, unable to fully catch his breath. Those passing his huddled form on the sidewalk didn't even spare him a glance; most turning blind eyes to those in desperate need of help. Gulping lung fulls of air, he leaned back slightly, hoping to open his airway like they had taught him at the free clinic. He knew that if he didn't get better with the cough medicine, he would need to make another trip there in the upcoming days.

Finally catching his breath, Blaine closed his eyes in tired defeat. He wonder, once again, if this would be his last winter as another sneeze brutally made its way from his body. Knowing that he needed to hit the pharmacy on the corner for the medicine, he opened his eyes and glanced down at the dog huddled at his side. He gave Milo a scratch behind the ears in sympathy as he felt the tremors of cold roll through the dog as well.

Blaine was suddenly startled when a warm coffee cup was thrust into his vision.

* * *

Sebastian grumbled to himself about idiots and coffee houses as he left his new regular haunt. He had returned to the same coffee house and Blaine's corner, hoping to see the other man again for the past two days without any luck. His assistant was getting rather suspicious at the new behavior since Sebastian had never attempted to pick up his own coffee prior to that random Tuesday and was now making it a habit. Knowing that if he didn't come across Blaine again in the next week or so, he would adjust to Plan B (a private investigator to track down the other man among the homeless of the city), he was startled to see a figure huddled under the tattered blanket with the same dog at his side. Contemplating how to approach Blaine without having him run off again, he stopped to observe his friend.

Blaine was shaking from cold, violent shivers making his small frame quake even though Sebastian could tell he was wearing multiple layers. A violent sneeze and coughing fit caused Sebastian's stomach to drop in concern. Although not a doctor, he could tell from the physical toll the cough seemed to take on Blaine that the sickness wasn't something as familiar as the common cold. Sebastian really began to worry as Blaine seemed to be struggling to catch his breath, his face turning paler under his fight with the air to fill his lungs.

When the other man finally looked down, his attention diverted to the dog lying beside him, Sebastian approached and thrust his hot coffee into Blaine's vision. The other man was still quaking from the cold, and Sebastian knew that the coffee would help to warm him up and maybe sooth the rough throat that he would probably be supporting after the coughing fit. He met Blaine's startled eyes with a small smile, indicating that Blaine should take the offered drink.

Grateful that the other man complied without complaint, Sebastian regarded him. "Where have you been?" he demanded of his homeless friend.

Blaine shrugged, not knowing if Sebastian meant the current time frame of two days or the entirety of his five years being lost. "Here and there," he rasped, taking a sip of the coffee, and sighing as the warm make its way into his empty stomach, leaving a blessed trail of warmth behind.

Frowning, Sebastian narrowed his eyes, taking in the shivers still rolling through Blaine's frame. He reached down and hauled the smaller man to his feet, hiding his concern at how _light_ Blaine was, clearly from weight loss and malnutrition. "Up," he ordered, propelling Blaine forward a step. "I'm taking you to see a doctor about that cold." He was startled when Blaine dug in this heels and refused to move.

"I'll go to the free clinic in a few days," Blaine stated, voice thin in sickness. "It's nothing."

Snorting, Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. "B," he murmured quietly, crowding into the other man's personal space and ignoring the unwashed smell emanating from Blaine's form. "That isn't good. I'm not a doctor and even I can tell that this isn't a normal cold."

"It isn't," Blaine confirmed, refusing to elaborate and covering up with a sip of the hot coffee. "I can take care of myself, Bas." Sebastian allowed a small thrill to roll through him at the familiar nickname before quashing it in favor of stubbornness.

"B. Blaine. I know you can take care of yourself, hell, you've survived this long without anyone's help. But, you're sick and I know you won't go to a shelter because of the mutt, so just let me help. We were best friends once."

Blaine stared at him, seeming to study Sebastian's soul for a minute, before nodding his head minutely. "Okay," he agreed softly, knowing that Sebastian wouldn't let it drop until he agreed. He also made a note to get away from the other man after seeing the doctor, knowing his resolve was crumbling about distancing himself from his former life. He was tired of being alone; tired of no one knowing what had happened; tired of no one caring.

"Okay," Sebastian repeated. He grinned at getting his own way, already making plans in his head to convince Blaine he should at least spend the night somewhere warm, even if it happened to be Sebastian's apartment. He stepped from the curb and hailed a cab, ushering Blaine and the dog into the interior. As the cabbie started to protest, he hand the man a folded fifty, silencing him with a tight smile. Once he had Blaine in the backseat with the dog draped across his lap, he grabbed Blaine's ruck-sack and guitar case, sliding them into the trunk of the car before climbing in beside the homeless man. He mused that Blaine must have been pretty out of it to actually forget the beloved guitar.

Giving the man the address to the private clinic he used, knowing that Nicholas Duval would take them as quickly as possible and be utterly surprised, he placed a call to his assistant telling him that he was going to work from home today. Charlie knew better than to question his volatile boss and Sebastian knew that his fax machine would be buzzing when he got home with all the documents he would need, but for now he focused on the man next to him in the cab.

"I'll take care of everything, Blaine," he murmured softly. When no reply was forthcoming he glanced over at his companion, a smile gracing his features because Blaine had fallen asleep due to the heated interior of the cab. Sighing softly, Sebastian brushed a wayward curl from Blaine's forehead.

"I promise," he stated, pulling his hand away from Blaine and turning to watch the New York scenery pass through the cab windows. There was no way he would be allowing Blaine to continue on the path he was on, he would make sure of that.


	4. Chapter 4: Reunions

**A/N: **So I was on a roll and managed a second chapter! Craziness, I know.

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"Alright, Seb, what was the big emergency that you demanded to see me when you came into the clinic today?" Nicholas Duval demanded, glancing over the chart, presumably Sebastian's, in his hands. "Apparently, you caused quite the uproar."

"Um, hi Nick," a voice that didn't belong to Sebastian stated before it erupted into a coughing fit. Nick's head whipped up and he stared incredulously at the dishelved man sitting on the examination table. Sebastian stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile gracing his features.

"B-Blaine?" Nick chocked, stepping closer and not quite believing what he was seeing in front of him. He took in Blaine's appearance, lack of hygiene, and frowned. "What's going on? Where have you been?" He looked over at Sebastian for answers as Blaine frowned and stared down at his lap instead of answering. Blaine Anderson did not look anything like the draper boy he had known during their schooling at Dalton Academy in Ohio.

"Blaine's been in New York this whole time, Nick," Sebastian replied softly. He was interrupted by another coughing fit from his friend. "And as you can hear and see, he's not well, so we were hoping you could take a look at him."

Nick nodded jerkily in reply, gaze going back to Blaine on the examination table. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the dog lying off to the side of the table. He, too, was matted and dirty. "What is that?"

Blaine frowned. "Milo," he replied in a clipped tone. He moved to get off the table, only stopping when Sebastian strode forward and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Nick's just surprised, B. Relax. It's a lot for him to take in."

Blaine glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian, uncertainty clouding his features. "I don't think this was a good idea, Bas," he stated before starting to cough uncontrollably. Nick frowned at the wheezing he could hear in the sound as Blaine struggled to catch his breath.

"Lie him on his back slightly, Seb. It'll help his airway to open," Nick instructed, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and taking his stethoscope from around his neck. "I want to hear his lungs when he can breathe again." He chose to ignore the questions burning in his mind, focusing on checking over his long-lost friend and knowing that he would be able to get the answers later.

Sebastian nodded, pulling Blaine back slightly to lean against his front. Several seconds passed before Blaine was able to pull in a wheezy breath with a moan of pain.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to take off your shirt, Blaine," Nick instructed as Sebastian helped the homeless man back into an upright position.

Blaine shook his head emphatically, crossing his arms over his chest to act as a barrier. "B," Sebastian sighed. "Nick isn't going to judge. He just needs your clothes out of the way so he can hear you lungs."

"I – I don't think that's a good idea. Can't you just give me Buckley's or something and I'll go," he asked imploringly at the doctor and his former friend.

Shaking his head sadly, Nick replied, "Sorry, Blaine, but I really don't like the sound of that cough. I need to hear your lungs so shirt off."

Sighing softly, Blaine glanced over at Sebastian once more, before he reluctantly pulled the three shirts he had been wearing in one swift move over his head. He shivered as the cold air of the room hit his bare torso, goosebumps rising in the skin. He tried to ignore the sharp gasps from Sebastian and Nick, crossing his arms over his chest to try to act a barrier to what they were seeing. His body was littered with scars, he knew, remnants of the Sadie Hawkins Dance from his teens, the incident which had preluded his homelessness and the various other altercations he had been involved in on the streets.

"B. Blaine? What happened?" Sebastian asked softly, a light finger trailing down a scar on Blaine's back. Blaine shivered slightly at the contact.

"Lots of stuff," Blaine replied, refusing to elaborate.

Nick was frowning at him in concern. "Blaine? When was the last time you actually ate a meal?" the doctor asked quietly, moving forward and gently probing Blaine's ribs as well as stomach.

The homeless man shrugged in reply, dropping his arms when Nick tugged on them so he could get a better look. "I eat what I find," he stated flatly.

"Well, you're starving to death," Nick stated, as he moved his stethoscope to his ears and began listening to Blaine's lungs from the back.

"That's what happens when you're homeless," Blaine snorted darkly. "You die of starvation, or cold, or sickness."

Nick faltered slightly in his tapping of Blaine's back. "Homeless?" he repeated, stopping what he was doing when Blaine gave a small gasp.

"When did you get married?" Blaine asked instead, diverting the conversation from himself, having noticed the ring adorning Nick's wedding finger.

"Jeff and I'll have been married three years this spring," Nick replied, resuming his probing of the other man.

"Good for you. Always knew the two of you would be together forever."

Sebastian, who had been observing the conversation, stepped forward to hand Blaine back his three shirts as Nick stepped away. "I'm sorry you missed the wedding, B," he said softly, laying a comforting hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine just shrugged the hand off and pulled his sweater back on. "Are we done?" he demanded of Nick.

"Almost, Blaine," Nick promised, stepping forward from the counter with a throat swab. "I think you might be developing pneumonia.

Sighing in defeat, Blaine opened his mouth obligingly to allow Nick to swab. "Doesn't surprise me," he muttered almost to himself.

Nick frowned. "You've had pneumonia before?"

Laughing darkly, Blaine stated, "Every winter since my first one on the streets. Can you just prescribe something quick? I have to get back to my spot before one of the other's takes it. I don't feel up to fighting anyone today."

"I'm prescribing you a puffer to help with the wheezing and coughing," Nick said, scribbling on his prescription pad. "And an antibiotic for the virus. You'll need to come back in a week or two so I can see how they're working."

"Right," Blaine snorted, taking the piece of paper from Nick and shoving it into his jean pocket. He knew that there would be no antibiotics or puffer; nor would he be returning to the clinic. He had simply done this so Sebastian would stop pestering him.

"Can I have a minute with Seb before you go?" Nick asked, politely, biting his tongue from having Blaine promise to come back in a few weeks or threatening to track him down if he didn't.

"Whatever," Blaine muttered, knowing Nick was going to ask about him. "Come on, Milo," he called, opening the door and heading out to reception area, the dog following obediently.

Once Blaine was out of the room, Nick turned on Sebastian. "What the fuck, Seb?" he demanded, crossing his arms, frown on his face.

Sebastian sighed, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I found him, Nick, on a street corner playing and singing for spare change."

Nick dropped his arms, face worried. "All these years?" he whispered instead. "He's been here all these years and only now we find him."

Knawing on his lip, Sebastian replied, "Don't beat yourself up, Nick. We've got time now to make it up to him. I know what you're feeling because I felt the same when I came across him the first time. We aren't shitty friends, Nick. How were we suppose to find him in a city of a million plus people?"

"We could have tried better, Seb," Nick cried.

"It didn't help that Lady Hummel sent us on a wild goose chase to LA," Sebastian pointed out. "As it is, he's here now and we can look after him, okay?"

"Okay. I'm going to let Jeff know and he can spread the word. Don't be surprised if the others start appearing."

Sebastian nodded his understanding. "Good because I'm going to need the help. Blaine isn't going to make this easy; he refuses to talk about himself or the past." He glanced at the door. "I'd better go before he disappears again."

Nick nodded and waved him out.

Entering the reception area, Sebastian frowned at the fact that Blaine was nowhere to be seen. His ruck-sack and guitar case which had been leaning against a far wall were also gone. Striding over to the reception desk, he put on his charming smile. "Have you seen a man who appears homeless come through here with a dog?" he asked sweetly.

She nodded, blushing slightly at the attention. "He came from seeing Dr. Duval, picked up his stuff and left," she replied.

"Son of a bitch!" Sebastian swore. Blaine had given him the slip again.


	5. Chapter 5: Death Defying Acts

**A/N: **Must be the weather; another chapter today.

* * *

Blaine shivered and curled himself into a ball of misery, coughs racking his form as he struggled for breath. He humorlessly laughed at himself, as Milo whined and nuzzled him, probably knowing what Blaine did; he wouldn't make it through too many more nights. He wheezed painfully, trying to curl tighter upon himself, the box he had positioned beside his dumpster not managing to keep the cold at bay.

The dog whined again, licking his face. "I'm sorry, Milo," Blaine whispered turning to bury his face in the warm fur. "Hopefully, you'll find a better home." He let the edges of sleep and delirium take hold, dragging him off to sandy beaches and warm sun.

He was jolted from REM sleep by someone frantically patting him down. Whining, he batted the hand away. "Not tonight, 'urt," he slurred. "Please, I c-can't. 'm sick."

The hand withdrew and suddenly Blaine found himself being dragged by his feet from his box. He groaned in pain as he forced his feverish mind to wake slightly and with watering eyes, he took in the upset face of Sebastian.

"Bastian?" he mumbled. "'hat 're 'ou doin' 'ere? Just letme sleep." Blaine rolled over and attempted to burrow further into himself, ignoring the cold wind seeping through his clothes. He didn't even attempt to crawl back into his makeshift home, too tired and warn down to care. His coughing fit was painful, forcing himself upright and covering his mouth with his hand. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in small flecks of blood. His mind fuzzy from fever and sickness, he just starred dumbly down at it, unable to process what it meant.

"Jesus, B," Sebastian breathed, taking in the blood. He reached down and hauled Blaine to his feet, wrapping one arm around the smaller man's middle to keep him upright.

"No, 'Bastian," Blaine protested weakly. "I just wanna sleep." He attempted to push the other man away, but Sebastian held firm.

There were murmurs of voices that Blaine could distinguish and he tried to force his mind to focus. Another set of arms came up to prop him on the other side, and he turned his head sluggishly to take in the new body. "Who 'ere 'ou?" he mumbled, eyes attempting to centre on the new figure. When he did, he smiled sleepily. "Wes," he breathed. "Is it time for bed? We need to make it back 'fore curfew. Phillips checked our dorm room last week. He'll know."

"Yes, Blaine," Wes replied quietly, sadly. "Go back to sleep. When you wake up, everything will be better, promise."

"You 'nd 'Bastian take good care of me," Blaine agreed. "Love you guys."

"Love you too," Sebastian stated. "Now sleep." Blaine passed out almost instantly, subconsciously registering that he was with people he knew. Sebastian grunted at the sudden dead weight he was holding up, and Wes made sure the prop up Blaine better on his side.

"Can you grab the guitar case and ruck-sack?" Sebastian asked David who stood off to the side with Jeff and Nick. "Jeff grab Milo. Let's get him out of here and somewhere warm so Nick can take a look at him. There was blood on his hand from the last coughing fit." The others moved to comply.

* * *

The first time he swam back from unconsciousness, he wasn't aware of his surrounding, only quiet voices murmuring to the side and a warm body draped next to him.

A voice, familiar and warm, mumbled quietly in his ear. "You're safe, Blaine. Go back to sleep." A kiss was brushed over his head and he surcome to unconsciousness again.

Blaine was more alert the second time he woke, jostling himself into a seated position as the coughs racked through his body with burning pain. When he managed a few wheezy breaths, a cup of warm water was thrust into his face.

"This will help," David said quietly, hand holding out the cup for Blaine to take. "Warm water with a hint of lemon. It'll sooth your throat Blaine."

Blaine gratefully took the offered water and sipped it, relishing in the trail of warmth it left behind. Finished, he handed the cup back to David with a quiet "Thank You".

David smiled sadly, taking his hand. "Go back to sleep, Blaine. We'll be here when you get up. I promise."

"Sing for me," Blaine requested. David nodded and began a quiet rendition of Brahms's lullaby. Sighing softly, Blaine laid back down and let the warmth of David's voice lull him back to sleep.

He woke the third time more alert, snuggled tightly in someone's arms. Panic set in and he struggled weakly to remove himself from his unknown situation. The body holding him responded, the arms tightening around him.

"Relax, B," a warm voice murmured in his ear, and the panic subsided as he realized Sebastian was in the bed with him. "You gave us quite the scare."

Blaine frowned, pushing away from Sebastian and sitting up as a cough worked its way from his chest. Once it subsided, he glanced around the room, taking in the fact that a monitor beat steadily and he was attached to an IV. "Where 'm I?" he croaked taking in his surroundings.

Sebastian sat up as well, his shirt wrinkled from lying in it. Blaine noted absently that he was actually wearing a polo sweater and jeans today instead of his customary suit. "At the clinic," he said, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. "Nick thought it would the best place to treat you."

"At the clin – wait what?" Blaine frowned, turning to face Sebastian. "When, what happened?"

Sighing, Sebastian scooted closer on the bed. "You were sick, B, like really, really sick. We're lucky we found you when we did cause Nick wasn't even sure you were going to make it at one point."

"Oh," Blaine frowned as a memory came to the surface. "Was Wes, David and Jeff here?" he asked suddenly.

Sebastian nodded and replied, "Yeah, they actually just stepped out to get coffee. You've been out of it for days, and we've been rotating to keep an eye on you. Last time you woke up, Dave was here and you asked him to sing for you."

"Well, look whose finally alert," a voice from the door called, ending the conversation before Blaine could ask anything more; especially if he had let slip what had happened all those years ago between him and Kurt. Nick came striding into the room, a smile on his face. "Gave us quite the scare, Blaine."

Moving off the bed and to a visitor chair, Sebastian watched as Nick began to check out his patient. "How'd you find me?" Blaine asked as Nick pulled the back of his hospital gown open to hear his lungs.

Sebastian shrugged. "I went back to your spot for three days. Some random guy was sitting there and I asked him about you. It's interesting what homeless people will tell you for twenty bucks and a cheap bottle of booze."

"Sebastian," a new voice reprimanded from the door. Wes, David, and Jeff entered the room. "You shouldn't be helping people fall into their addictions."

"I don't really care what happens to that guy," Sebastian replied. "All I cared about was what he could tell me about B. Without that booze, we never would have found him."

David just shook his head sadly, before turning to Blaine and Nick continued to poke and probe him. "I'm glad you're okay, Blaine," he said, coming in and dropping on the couch against the wall. "I think the scary part was when Nick actually lost you."

"Hun?" Blaine looked over at them curiously, as Wes and Jeff also entered the room. "Lost?"

"Your heart stopped," Wes supplied, watching with interest as Nick continued to move around Blaine.

"Oh." Blaine suddenly flinched away room Nick and the room spun at the intense pain in his side. "OWWW. Nick," he whined.

"Sorry, Blaine," Nick apologized. "I think you pulled a lung away from your rib cage from all the coughing which is why it hurts you so much when you do cough. We'll need to get an X-ray for that, but there's not much we can do medically; it'll heal itself.

"You're also pretty bruised from the CPR we had to perform when you decided to seize on the way to clinic," Nick added, stepping away and making some notes on Blaine's chart at the foot of his bed. "Now I'm going to ask a series of questions, so we can make sure no permanent brain damage occurred with the lack of oxygen which brought on the seizure. I don't think we need to worry about you knowing who we are or yourself."

"Fine," Blaine sat back, arms folded across his chest defensively.

"What year is it?" Nick asked, making notes on his chart.

Blaine looked at him incredulously. "I have no idea, Nick. I was homeless. I didn't read the newspaper, I used it to insulate my clothes to keep me warm."

"Oh, is that why we pulled so much ripped newspaper from your body?" Jeff asked. "We couldn't figure out why you were wearing newspaper."

"Keeps you warm," Blaine answered. "You rip it and stuff it into your clothes. Richard –" His voice drifted off and they could see him shut down a little at the name.

"Okay, stop sending him off on tangents, Jeff," Nick stated, continuing to scribble on the chart. He placed the chart at the end of the bed. "I'll be back in a minute. I want to administer some painkillers to Blaine's IV." Nick stepped out of the room.

"Where's Milo?" Blaine demanded suddenly, glancing at all the face around him. They all shot looks at Sebastian, not sure how Blaine would take the news. Sebastian had the most contact with their friend.

"At Nick and Jeff's apartment," Sebastian replied, "since they've been the only two to really go home for any length of time. He's fine, I promise. Living it up with the Sterling-Duvals."

"Oh, okay," Blaine shifted, and dropped his feet to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian demanded, getting up from the chair and placing a hand on Blaine's chest. "Stay in the bed, B."

"No," Blaine replied stubbornly. "I need to use the bathroom."

"That's why they invented bedpans, B," Sebastian stated. "You actually died for about three minutes five days ago. You aren't getting out of this bed until Nick gives the okay." He looked imploringly over at others.

"Are you going to stop me?" Blaine demanded, pushing away Sebastian's hand.

"Yes, I will," Sebastian snapped back. "I'll fucking sit on you if it'll keep you in this bed."

"You wouldn't," Blaine sneered back in a challenge. They began to scuffle while the others looked on in amusement.

"And he would," Jeff laughed from where Sebastian was wrapped around Blaine like an octopus, anchoring him to the bed.

Blaine glared at them. "Fuck, Sebastian. I'm not using a god-damn bedpan."

"Yes, you are, Blaine, because you haven't been vertical in days," Nick replied, stepping back into the room and taking in their position. "I don't want you to get dizzy and fall."

Blaine glared. "Whatever." Sebastian shifted off the bed now that Nick had stepped in handing Blaine a bed pan. Smirking at them, Blaine proceeded to relieve himself without waiting for them to leave the room.

"Blaine!" Wes and David chorused, shocked. Jeff looked disgusted while Sebastian was bemused. Nick seemed indifferent, taking the full pan and heading for the bathroom.

"What?" Blaine demanded, settling back into the bed and using the hand sanitizer on his night stand. "I lived on the streets. No privacy." He shifted, not even caring that he was exposing himself slightly to his friends. Wes got up from the couch and quickly tucked the blanket around Blaine.

"Jesus, B," Sebastian laughed. "At least we know you aren't lacking in the endowment department."

"Alright, guys," Nick stated, returning from the bathroom and leaving the bedpan for a nurse to collect. "I'm going to administer the pain killer and Blaine's going to fall back asleep. Time to clear out."

The others shook their heads and left, ensuring they each promised Blaine they would be there when he woke next. Sebastian came over and dropped a kiss to Blaine's head. "Sleep tight, Killer," he whispered before following the others out.

Blaine drifted into unconsciousness with a smile on his face.


	6. Chapter 6: Anger

**A/N: **To the guest and everyone else who left a review, I thank you for the support and encouragement. To all those new followers and favorites, you guys rock! Hopefully you enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

It was quiet arguing that woke Blaine from sleep. In the light filtering in from the hall, he could make out the agitated form of Sebastian and Nick.

"You have to call him Seb. He's listed as Blaine's next of kin and should be here if any medical emergencies arise."

"Not until I discuss it with Blaine," Sebastian replied stubbornly. "Everything is changing for him and I don't want him to run again. He's still not well and I don't want him to take off."

"Seb, Blaine's been missing for five years. I think he deserves to know he's back."

Frowning, Blaine tried to dig a memory about who they were talking, desperately hoping it had nothing to do with Kurt. If he never saw Kurt again, he would be happy.

It was Sebastian who realized something was wrong when the strange gasping sound drifted from the bed to them. Striding over to Blaine, he hauled Blaine into a seated position as gently as possible and wrapped him into a tight hug. "It's okay, B. Just breathe."

Nick came over to the bed frowning. "He's having a panic attack, Seb."

"No shit," Blaine gasped out before Seb could reply. Blaine struggled to pull more air into his lungs, relying on Sebastian's solid presence to ground him.

"It's okay, B. We're not going to call Cooper until you give us the go-ahead. I promise." Hearing Sebastian's reassurance he slowed his beating heart with a few well placed breaths.

Once in control again, he turned in Sebastian's embrace and glared at Nick. "No Cooper and absolutely no Kurt," he stated darkly.

Nick sighed. "Alright Blaine but at some point you're going to have to give us something to work with because we can't help you otherwise."

Blaine pulled away from Sebastian and shoved the man away. "I don't need your fucking help," he snarled, jerking the IV out if his hand savagely. He kicked away the blankets and swung himself to his feet. Stumbling, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around his middle, keeping him on his feet.

"No help, eh Killer?" Sebastian chuckled warmly in Blaine's ear.

"Shut up," Blaine moaned suddenly aware of the pain in his hand and side. Sebastian helped him back into bed and glanced over at Nick who had watched the entire exchange with pursed lips.

"I'll make you a deal, Blaine," he said as he came forward after rummaging for a new IV needle. "You be a good patient and we won't call Cooper until you're ready, okay?"

Blaine sighed softly. "Okay," he agreed softly allowing Nick to re-insert his IV and probe his side.

Sebastian just watched as Nick fussed over their friend.

* * *

"I'm worried about Blaine's reaction to the mention of Cooper and Kurt," Nick said as he seated himself at the table with Sebastian.

Wes frowned. "What happened?" he asked, his psychologist hat coming on in an instant.

Sighing, Sebastian replied, "Blaine overheard Nick and I discussing whether to contact Cooper. He freaked out and pulled out his IV."

"Do we know what would cause that reaction?" David asked trying to dig through his memories for an answer.

"No idea," Sebastian responded, smiling appreciatively at David who slid a coffee in front of him. "I think it has to do with the whatever put Blaine on the street to begin with; they didn't provide much detail about what happened when we were still in college. If I remember correctly it was actually a rare occurrence for Kurt to even visit him in the hospital while Cooper and I slept in those uncomfortable chairs for days."

"But didn't Blaine go home to Kurt after that?" Jeff frowned, trying to remember.

"Yeah," David agreed. "Blaine disappeared not long after. I wonder what actually happened. You don't think _Kurt_put him in the hospital that time do you Seb?"

"No," Sebastian denied. "Otherwise I doubt Cooper would have let Blaine go home with Kurt after that visit. They were really hush-hush about why he was in the hospital to begin with but I can say with certainty that it had nothing to do with Kurt directly. Him disappearing on us though, that's all Kurt."

"We'll need to be careful around him for the next little bit, guys, because this new Blaine has a temper and is a bit unpredictable. He was a bit physical with Seb," Nick warned.

"Okay," Wes agrees. "No mention of Kurt or Cooper but we're going to need to get to the bottom of this mystery so we can help Blaine as much as possible."


	7. Chapter 7: Confrontations

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" A very familiar voice roared as Sebastian neared Blaine's hospital room the next morning. "Get the fuck OUT!"

There was a murmured reply that Sebastian couldn't quite hear before Blaine was bellowing again. "SHOWS YOU KNOW JACK SHIT!" Blaine hollered. "NOW GET OUT!" This was followed by shattering glass which Sebastian presumed was the vase of flowers from Blaine's side table. Sighing softly, he entered the room to save the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of Blaine's wrath. He stopped in the doorway when he found Kurt cowering against the wall at the foot of Blaine's bed.

"Blaine you're being unreasonable," Kurt tried once he was certain Blaine had no more projectiles to throw at his head. "It's been five years. Don't you think it's time to get over this and move on?"

Sebastian shook his head and sighed to himself as Blaine struggled to heave himself from the bed. He knew it would be a good time to intervene before Blaine did damage to himself or Kurt. Stepping into view, he plastered on his fake polite smile reserved for his clients.

"Good to see you, Kurt," he said as pleasantly as possible. Blaine snorted from the bed but seemed to settle back down now that Sebastian was present. "What do we owe for being graced with your presence, Lady Hummel?" Okay, so maybe he blamed Kurt for Blaine's situation a little bit as the small barb slipped out.

Kurt stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Actually, the more accurate question is why it took so long for me to find out about Blaine?" he snarked in return.

"Tsk, tsk, Kurtie," Sebastian admonished trying to stay somewhat civil when he wanted to rip into Kurt too. "From the sounds of it, you aren't welcome in this room. I'd suggest you vacate before Blaine calls security."

Kurt smirked. "Actually I have a right to be here since I'm charged with making medical decisions for Blaine."

"No you're not," Blaine interjected angrily. "It was Cooper who was and that's changed."

"What since when?" Kurt demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Since now," Blaine snarled back. "Now get the fuck out of my room." Sebastian suddenly noticed Blaine reaching to heave the breakfast tray from the table at his side at Kurt. He watched as the bedridden man flung the uneaten contents at Kurt, holding back the hysterical laughter at the affronted look on Kurt's face.

"I think it's best that you leave," he offered to the egg covered man.

Shocked at the turn of events, Kurt simply followed Sebastian out to the hallway, desperately trying to wipe egg off his jacket. "What the fuck is wrong with him?" he demanded turning on Sebastian. "He should be committed. Fucking asshole threw a vase at my head and now this? He's off his rocker."

"In all fairness to Blaine, he did tell you to leave his room multiple times," Sebastian felt obliged to point out, keeping to himself that this wasn't the first temper tantrum he had witnessed from Blaine is such a short span of time.

"Whatever," Kurt said darkly. "Just call me when I can pick him up to bring home." Sebastian bit his tongue from telling Kurt that there was no way in hell he was letting Blaine go home with the man; he had let that happen once before which had led them to this current situation. He'd be damned if it happened again. Instead he nodded woodenly to placate the irritated man, sighing in quiet relief as Kurt stalked away. Now he just had to deal with Blaine and hopefully he'd be able to finally get the whole story from the other man but not before he found out who had let slip to _Kurt_ of all people that Blaine had been found.

* * *

"Alright, who was it?" Sebastian snarled at the group crowding the Sterling-Duval's living room. The quiet conversation dissipated rapidly as he stomped his way into the room after reassuring Blaine that he would find out who had broken the man's trust.

"Did what?" Wes asked, confusion marring his features.

"Who called Kurt and let him know about Blaine?"

Instantly the quiet erupted as all the men started talking at once although Nick quietly excused himself to make a phone call.

"What?!"

"Oh my god, how did Blaine take it?"

"Was there blood and death? What _happened_?"

"Enough," Sebastian broke in. "I got there this morning to find Kurt in Blaine's room. They had a confrontation and Blaine threw a vase at this head demanding that he leave. I managed to convince Kurt to go after he ended up covered in Blaine's uneaten breakfast. Now he's under the impression that Blaine is going home with _him_ when he's discharged."

"Over my dead body!" Wes cried in anger.

Sighing Sebastian took a seat on the couch. "My feelings exactly, but now we need to know whose responsible for destroying Blaine's trust since I promised we wouldn't call Cooper or Kurt without his say-so."

"That would be partially my fault," Nick said sadly as he reentered the room, closing his cell phone. The others looked at him in shock. "I called the clinic. The duty nurse took it upon herself to contact Blaine's listed next of kin since we had failed to do so and she thought it was simply an oversight on our part. I would assume Cooper asked Kurt to head for the hospital."

Sebastian frowned. "Why wouldn't Cooper contact any of us instead?" he asked in confusion.

Nick sat back down beside his husband with a sigh. "Because the nurse failed to mention that _I _was the treating doctor. We'll need to contact Cooper and straighten this out."

"No kidding since Kurt wants to have Blaine committed." It slipped out before Sebastian could curb his tongue and he sighed at the varying degrees of anger on the others' faces.

"Not going to happen," David adamantly stated, shaking his head. "Wes can treat him as an out-patient, but there is no way we're going to forcefully put Blaine in a psych ward. We're still trying to earn his trust."

"Exactly," Jeff agreed. "What is that man thinking?"

"We don't know the whole story though," Wes pointed out, trying to be reasonable. "I'm sure Blaine has a good reason for his reaction and Kurt probably refuses to acknowledge it. We really need to know what happened all those years ago."

Sebastian sighed. "I'm going to try to get Blaine to tell me tomorrow," he said. "I was going to attempt it today but after Kurt's impromptu visit, I wanted him to take a few hours to calm down."

Nick nodded. "I think out of all of us, he trusts Sebastian the most, so it's best he handle this. Just do it delicately, Seb. I'm still not too sure how he'll react."

"Me neither," Sebastian murmured quietly as the others returned to their previous conversation. It's what scared him the most; the thought of Blaine disappearing again.

* * *

**A/N: **So what did everyone think of the confrontation between Kurt and Blaine? I'm hoping the next chapter will finally tell us what actually happened all those years ago.


	8. Chapter 8: Unpleasant Memories

Blaine stilled as a shadow passed under the closed of his room. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the shadow moved on without opening the door to check on him. He had observed the nurses rotations and bed checks for the last few days, quietly planning to make an exit from the clinic. Seeing Kurt today had cemented his need to disappear into oblivion again. He was feeling better and had the strength to actually manage on his own after his stay. Now that he was quasi better the others had stopped staying with him overnight, allowing his plan to be carried out. He would miss Milo but knew the dog would be better off with Nick and Jeff, getting full meals and rest in a warm place every night, something he believed Milo deserved after taking care of him when Richard had passed.

A small tinge in his side caused him to stifle a moan of discomfort but he refused to give up his task, packing the last of his meager belongings into his rucksack and swinging it over his shoulder. Grabbing the guitar case from the corner, he tiptoed his way to he door and opened it as quietly and small as possible, peering down the light hallway to ensure no nurses stumbled onto his impromptu discharge. If he was honest with himself, he knew that this decision was made in part because he was afraid; afraid of sharing the secrets which had led him to streets. Afraid of what his friends would think once they knew he was dirty; used in a way that some people could never bounce back from. He refused to acknowledge the tiny voice in his head which kept pointing out that he had a support system in Sebastian and the other former Warblers; that maybe running wasn't the solution like he thought.

Quashing the thought, he pulled open the door fully and stepped out only to stumble back a step as Sebastian stared at him grimly from where he was leaning opposite Blaine's door. Blaine hadn't been able to see him from the crack he had risked to check out the hallway.

"Going somewhere, Killer?" Sebastian asked quietly, detaching himself from the wall and forcing Blaine back deeper into the room.

"What? How?" Blaine was confused as to how Sebastian could have known his plan.

Sebastian shrugged, gently taking the guitar case from Blaine. "Figured after you saw Kurt you'd try to take off. I knew that brain of yours would give you a reason and thought I'd head you off instead of being forced to track you around the city by bribing more homeless guys with cheap alcohol." He took Blaine's rucksack too. "Get your ass back into that bed, B," he ordered as an after thought, placing Blaine's guitar and stuff back into closet by the door. He made sure to swing the room door closed again before making his way back to Blaine.

Muttering something unpleasant about Sebastian's parentage, Blaine climbed back into the bed ignoring the fact that the clothes he was wearing were filthy and torn. He was thankful Blaine actually listened to him and got back into the be rather than forcing Sebastian's hand. He winced at the dirt streak Blaine left behind on the pristine white sheets and made a mental note to buy the other man some new clothes.

"Alright B," Sebastian said collapsing into one of the chairs beside the bed and fixing Blaine with a penetrating stare. "You're gonna need to explain your little scene with Kurt today because I can guarantee he's run to Cooper hoping to have you committed. I really don't want to see him try to play Florence Nightingale either so explain it to me."

Crossing his arms over his chest defensively, Blaine shook his head in denial, refusing to allow Sebastian to see this vulnerability. "I can't," he whispered quietly his mind racing to find an excuse to keep this from his friend.

Sebastian frowned at the response. "Why not?" he asked in return. Blaine refused to look up at him and he pursed his lips knowing he wouldn't be able to read Blaine without eye contact. Somethings never changed and Blaine's eyes remained the gateway into his soul; the only way to know the true Blaine without the façade.

"Blaine look at me," he ordered reaching over and drawing up the man's chin in order to force eye contact. "Why can't you tell me?"

Shaking his head, Blaine whispered imploringly, "Please Seb."

Sitting back deeper in his chair with a sigh, Sebastian studied his friend. "Alright," he conceded, "But only if you tell me what put you in the hospital the last time we saw each other." He figured that the story would give some inkling at the hatred Blaine had developed for his ex.

Takin a deep breath, Blaine nodded minutely to show his consent before dropping his gaze to his lap, refusing to make eye contact with Sebastian. "I don't know if you knew but Kurt and I were having problems in our relationship. We were drifting apart; him too caught up in work and me struggling with school work. We were trying to work things out though and had been getting along better. It was December tenth when things changed..."

* * *

_Blaine sighed glancing down at his watch again and noting that it was well passed the time Kurt had promised to meet him. It was late and most of the campus was dark. Blaine had stayed late to work on a paper for his Intro to Lit class having made arrangements with Kurt to meet him on the campus at eleven thirty, once Kurt, who had been working over time, got off. Blaine was grateful because several students had been mugged in the previous few weeks as they left campus late at night. _

_Sighing softly he attempted to call Kurt again and listened as Kurt once again forced his call to voicemail. It was causing him to focus on a sense of deja vu as he remembered similar behavior from his boyfriend in his senior year of high school when Kurt had focused on his new life in New York, leading Blaine to seek comfort elsewhere by cheating. Growling in frustration, he tried Kurt again before leaving his boyfriend a biting message about promises not being kept._

_Not wanting to waste any more time waiting on the other man and knowing he had early class in the morning, he decided to head for home on his own, knowing Kurt was going to owe him one hell of an explanation for his tardiness and no response to calls._

_It wasn't until he was five blocks from home did he notice two guys following him. Intimidated, he picked up the pace of his walk, glancing around wearily to see if anyone noticed his tail. The streets were deserted due to the late hour and Blaine wasn't sure what exactly was going on with the two men following him and he didn't want to find out either._

_They caught up with him two blocks later, managing to force him into an alleyway. He figured they only wanted money and has readily offered his wallet hoping they would take it and leave. Th taller of the two simply hit him in the face and pushed him up against the alley wall, forcing Blaine's back to them._

_Blaine whimpered, pleading with them to let him go; promising more money than what he was carrying. His head was jerked back roughly by his hair and he cried out as the gel was dislodged from his head, pulling his hair. A voice, breath hot, foul and smelling of alcohol wafting over his face as it explained about noticing Blaine on campus and wanting to know what a good fuck he was._

_Realization of what was going to happen caused him to panic and buck, trying to dislodge his attacker to no avail. His head was repeatedly rammed into the wall, subduing him quickly by rendering him into a painful daze. He could feel hot blood running down his face from his nose and a gash the wall had torn into his forehead._

_Through his daze, Blaine felt his pants as well as underwear pulled down and he struggled weakly earning him another hit to the wall. It was over quickly after that and his legs gave out as his attacker pulled away causing Blaine to sink to the ground pain radiating from his face and ass, tears pooling and falling down his cheeks. _

_He must have been whimpering pretty loudly because the man who had been working as look-out told him to shut up fiercely. Blaine tried to gain control of himself but he was sobbing, his body heaving with the pain and horror of what had just happened. He was backhanded then, falling onto his side, uncaring of the filth he was lying in, still unable to control his sobs. They began kicking him repeatedly, face, chest, head. It was after a vicious kick to the head that blessed unconsciousness took hold and he disappeared into oblivion._

* * *

"Some guy found me the next morning as he takin out the trash to his dumpster. I couldn't identify my attackers so the cops never caught them. Things between Kurt an I were strained after that even more as I'm sure you're aware."

Sebastian sat back with a look of horror on his face. "Jesus, Blaine." he whispered his own voice quivering although he noticed the absence of any real emotion on Blaine's face. "Cooper and Kurt refused to tell us what happened."

"Yeah, well, now you know," Blaine snarled softly before turning over and leaving his back to Sebastian, the air in the room thick from the horrible memory.

Sebastian regarded his friend, understanding a little more about Blaine's reaction to Kurt but knowing deep down that there was more to the story than the assault because Blaine had agreed to go home with the other man when he was discharged from the hospital. Something more must have happened between the two. He resolved to get the story from Blaine but at least now they ha some inkling to Blaine's reaction and hopefully they would be able to help him recover not only physically but emotionally.

* * *

**A/N: **Um, yeah...so now you know some of the story...


	9. Chapter 9: Discharged

"In what freaking dimension did you think it would be a good idea to send Kurt?" Sebastian snarled into the phone clutched to his ear after the person on the other end had murmured a sleepy "Hello." "It caused more damage than good and I stopped Blaine from disappearing _again_."

"Hello to you too, Sebastian," Cooper Anderson sighed. "Who else do you think I'd call? They wer engaged and in love. Don't you think Kurt had a right to know that the man who abandoned him had reemerged? Blaine needs to man up and stop running away from his problems. From what Kurt was telling me, he's fine, stuck in some private clinic in Manhattan with some sugar daddy paying the bills."

Speechless, anger red-hot coursing through his veins at Cooper's words, Sebastian hurled his phone at the wall without thought, the shattered remains clattering to the floor. The sound drew the others from all over the apartment, each quietly observing Sebastian's heaving chest and attempts to control his anger.

Managing to cool his temper slightly, he glanced at Wes and Nick. "You'll need to explain it to Cooper," was all he offered before grabbing his coat and stomping from the apartment, disbelief at Cooper's lack of respect for Blaine and his side of the story causing him to question whether they should even bother discussing Blaine's discharge with the other man.

Taking a deep breath to clear his anger, he wandered down the street, hoping the cool air would relieve him of his bad mood before he saw Blaine.

* * *

"Blaine. B, you need to wake up. Nick is discharging you today, time to get move on." Sebastian shook Blaine a little harder finally managing to get a response from the sleeping man. What he didn't expect was Blaine to swing at him. He caught the other man's fist before it connected with his face. A closer inspection showed Blaine as still being asleep and he shook his head that even unconscious the other man was trying to protect himself.

"Come on, B. I want to take you home. I promise you'll prefer the mattress in your new room much better than the clinic." Blaine gave a tiny moan and rolled over, opening his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," he grumped, rubbing his face tiredly.

"B we aren't having this argument again. Nick is discharging you with the expectation you'll be living in my guest room. You might feel better but you're still battling pneumonia and your lung isn't completely healed yet."

"I'm fine," Blaine snarked back. "I don't need a goddamn babysitter."

"No, you need a shrink," a voice cut in from the doorway. "Which you'll start seeing once I get you home."

Sebastian sighed darkly. "Hello, Kurt. What are you doing here?"

"I've come to take Blaine home, Sebastian," Kurt replied.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Blaine snarled, throwing the covers off and sitting in the bed. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"Please," Kurt waved him off. "What happened between us is in the past, Blaine. We'll get you some help and we can go back to the way things before your impromptu disappearance. I forgive you for disappearing by the way."

Blaine stared at Kurt stunned. "I'm so glad you feel that way," Blaine muttered under his breath although it was loud enough for Sebastian to catch the comment so he suspected Blaine wasn't too concerned about Kurt's reaction. "I'm not getting back together with you. You're bat-shit crazy if you think otherwise."

"Blaine be reasonable. After everything that happened to you no one but me will even give you a second glance. You should feel fortunate."

Sebastian stared at Kurt in anger but Blaine bit into the other man before he could hedge a word. "You're a raving lunatic if you ever think I'm going to let you touch me again, Kurt Hummel. You may have forgotten what you did to me but I'll never forget because it as worst than those two strangers in the alley, do you know why? No? Because you swore you loved me. Now get the fuck out of here and leave me alone."

Tight lipped, Kurt turned on his heel and left without a word. Knowing Blaine would been even more quiet about what had transpired between the two, Sebastian just pulled Blaine into a hug. "Let's get you home, B," he murmured quietly.

The fight leaving him, Blaine broke the hug and began to pack the stuff he had accumulated through his stay quietly.

* * *

Screaming woke Sebastian out of a pleasant dream. Disoriented he tumbled from the bed wrapped uncomfortably in the sheets. There was a pause in the screams which echoed through the condo and he took the time to untangle himself before scrambling from the floor and running into Blaine's room.

Blaine lay in bed thrashing, still lost in the nightmare's grip. He was whimpering and pleading in his dream. Sebastian distinctly heard Kurt's name and "No" on numerous occasions. Biting his lip, he settled on the edge of Blaine's bed, reaching over and gently shaking the other man.

"B, you're having a nightmare. Wake up."

With a gasping breath Blaine propelled himself into a sitting position, eyes open and frantically scanning the unfamiliar room. Wham his gaze finally landed on Sebastian, his breathing settled somewhat.

"Sebastian?" he questioned quietly.

"You were having a nightmare, B," Sebastian answered to the unspoken questions of the other man. "I heard you screaming and came in to wake you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Without another word, Blaine turned over putting his back to Sebastian and closed his eyes.

Sighing softly, Sebastian rose from his seat on the bed and made his way to the door. "When your ready Blaine, I'll listen." he said softly before making his way back to his own room.

Lying in bed, Blaine squeezed how eyes shut not ready to fully trust those he once called friends although if he was honest with himself that was slowly changing.


	10. Chapter 10: Brother

Chapter 10: Cooper

"Honestly, Cooper? I'd keep him as far away from Blaine as possible. Something transpired between them and it was bad so forgive me if I refuse to subject Blaine to him especially after everything Blaine has been through...Seriously Cooper? You really believe that?" Sebastian turned from the coffee pot he was fiddling with and made eye contact with former Warblers sitting around his kitchen table, frustration with the man on the other end of the conversation evident in his posture and facial expressions. "I understand that they were once fiancées Cooper but if you had seen Blaine reaction to Kurt you wouldn't even be questi-"

The phone was unceremoniously yanked out of Sebastian's hand from behind. He turned taking in a very irritated Blaine. "Cooper?" Blaine said into the phone. Cooper must have started in because Blaine scowled deeper. "Save it," he snarled darkly. "I don't really care. Mind your own goddamn business and stop sending Kurt to bother me. If you really fuckin' cared you would have been on a plane when you were first contacted about me so give it a rest and grow a pair to see me yourself or simply fuck off."

He ended the call and tossed the phone back to Sebastian before pouring himself a coffee. "Fucking asshole," Blaine muttered to himself before turning and regarding the men around the table. " If he attempts to call any of you tell him off and hang up," he ordered. "They're all fucking assholes," he muttered again before retreating back to his room with his coffee, slamming the door behind him.

Silence reined before David shifted uncomfortably. "He was always grouchy when he first wakes up." David offered, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"That's true," Jeff confirmed. "He once chucked his clock radio at me when we roomed together at Dalton."

"Jeff that's because you set it to go off at 4:30 in the morning on a Saturday after we spent the night before partying," Wes pointed out with a sigh. "I think Thad and Trent tried to brain you when they saw you that morning since they were your immediate neighbors and you woke them up too."

Jeff pouted and crossed his arms defensively. "Blaine told me to make sure he wasn't late for coffee with Seb. I just did as I was told."

"Jeff, Blaine and I always met for coffee at 10:00 on the dot," Sebastian said giving the blond a confused look. "Why would Blaine need to be up that early?"

Refusing to answer for his reasoning Jeff asked instead, "So what's our next step in the Blaine Warbler Project?"

Sighing at the return to the present, the men around the table started to brainstorm the next step in helping Blaine.

* * *

Frantic knocking on his apartment door caused Sebastian to glance up from the brief he was reading and take in the time on the kitchen clock from his place at the dining room table. Concerned when he realizes it was close to midnight, he got up from the table and made his way to the door, eyes softening as he found Blaine sprawled out on the couch sleeping peacefully. Each night had been riddled with nightmares for the other man and after waking he had refused to go back to sleep, exhaustion causing him to be less irritable and more like the old Blaine, unable to keep his walls up without effort.

They had taken to sleeping cuddled together in Sebastian's bed which provided Blaine with some relief from the night terrors which was why Blaine had insisted he try to stay up until Sebastian was done working for the night.

Taking in Blaine's peaceful face, Sebastian was grateful that they hadn't encountered any major problems acclimatizing to living together. The others had also taken to coming over for dinner and to hang out regularly, refusing to loose their connection to Blaine again. Thad and Trent had arrived two weeks after hearing about Blaine as they had made arrangements with their companies to have permanent transfers to New York, both stating a brother in need. They had both gotten settled recently in an apartment and had made sure, like the others, to spend as much time as possible with Blaine. Even Sebastian was working from home as much as possible, enjoying quiet evenings going over legal briefs at the dining room table while Blaine watched tv or read. The best part was when they went to bed, curled together in the dark, Blaine sighing in contentment as he lay in Sebastian's warm and secure embrace.

Draping the throw blanket from the back of the couch over his friend, he made a mental note to take Blaine to get his haircut, the curls long and unruly.

Making his way over to the door, he pulled it open and stepped back in surprise. "Cooper?"

The other man was disheveled and looked like he had slept in his clothes. Cooper gave Sebastian a small smile. "Hey, Seb," he greeted quietly. "Can I come in?"

"Um..."

"Just let the asshole in, Seb," a new voice interjected. "He'll sleep in the doorway if you don't and your super isn't gonna be happy."

"Blaine," Cooper breathed taking in the appearance of his younger brother. The too-thin face, dark bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep, hair long and curly as ever and face covered in five o'clock shadow (Sebastian finally managing to convince Blaine to shave the awful beard he had been supporting). Blaine looked exhausted from living and even though Cooper hadn't seen him years, he could even tell Blaine had faced hardships of the look in his eyes were anything to go on; the warmth that those warm-honey eyes used to hold was dulled and gone, life lessons learned in the worst possible way having tarnished Blaine once optimistic outlook beyond repair.

Blaine gave a thin fake smile to his brother from his place on the couch. Sebastian stepped aside to allow the other man to enter the apartment, closing the door behind the older Anderson and indicating for Cooper to sit in the arm chair. He move to give them some privacy but Blaine snagged his hand on the way by, tugging him towards the couch, a pleading look directed at him. Giving Blaine's hand a reassuring squeeze, he settled next to the other on the couch, not letting his surprise that Blaine didn't let go of his hand show. Cooper also noticed but bit his tongue from saying anything.

"What do you want, Cooper?" Blaine demanded, voice hostile, indicating h was not happy about the intrusion especially after their phone call two days ago.

Cooper shuffled uncomfortably and refused to make eye contact with his brother. "You were right, Blaine," he said softly. "I should have come to New York when Seb called to say they had found you. I just - um - gave up hope, I guess." he lifted his gaze and took a moment to simply study his brother. "You were gone five goddamn years Blaine," he burst out angrily. "Kurt told us you had argued and left to cool down."

Blaine snorted angrily. "Of course," he snarled back. "We would never question the great Kurt Hummel."

Cooper sat back in surprise at the tone, noting with some surprise Blaine's reaction. "What happened, Blaine?" he asked gently. The Blaine of the past adored his future husband and the man before him was dripping in contempt for his former fiancé.

Blaine raised his eyes from where he buried his face in his hands. "What do you think happened?" he demanded.

Frowning, Cooper studied his little brother intently. He swallowed hard in realization, the devastated look in Blaine's eyes telling him more than any words could. "B - Blaine - did Kurt rape you?"


	11. Chapter 11: Betrayal

Chapter 11: Betrayal

"B - Blaine - did Kurt rape you?" Cooper whispered, the devastated look Blaine shot at him confirmation of his suspicion.

Sebastian shifted closer to Blaine, drawing the other man into a tight embrace. "When?" he asked quietly, knowing they would need to draw the details out of Blaine. He had to give Cooper some credit for having guessed correctly something he had been considering as the reason for the hostility towards Kurt Blaine has been exhibiting; Blaine had demonstrated similar character traits after his attack, Sebastian remembered.

Blaine allowed himself the comfort of Sebastian's embrace, knowing that his Pandora's box had been opened unwittingly by his brother's correct guess. He was unable to force the breath to deny the truth from his throat. "It was about six months after the attack," he responded dully, his emotion disconnecting themselves as he attempted to explain. "I - um - I wasn't coping very well. Physical connections made me flinch and Kurt was frustrated I wasn't making any progress with my therapist. I suspected he was seeing someone on the side and when he came home that night he was drunk. I wasn't thinking about consequences and I - uh - confronted him about the cheating. He didn't take it well. I don't remember much about what actually happened; there was a lot of screaming an derogatory comments from both of us. I just remember waking up the next morning to pain. There was so much blood and I could barely move. Kurt must have heard me because he came back into the kitchen where he left me the night before. I could tell he had already started drinking, probably to cope with what he had done. He spewed some more angry words and left the apartment. I managed to drag myself to a clinic and they checked me out. Kurt gave me a sexually transmitted infection, confirming his cheating. I knew I couldn't go back so I just..." He trailed off with a shrug, eyes downcast waiting for his brother and Sebastian to tell him how worthless and pathetic he actually was for letting that happen.

"Oh god, B," Sebastian choked, arms tightening around the man in his arms. Surprised at the tears he could hear in Sebastian's voice, Blaine looked up and noted that both his best friend and his brother were crying. "Why didn't you come to me?" Sebastian asked, his arms tight around Blaine. "I would have helped any way I could."

"I just -" Blaine stumbled over his words, unable to articulate how he had been unsure how to cope with fear of another betrayal from someone he loved. He glanced over at Cooper, shrinking into Sebastian's side further at the look of pure fury on his brother's face, unsure if it was directed at him.

"I'm going to kill that little bastard," Cooper snarled when he caught Blaine's eye. "Kurt is going to be eating his own balls after I rip them off."

Sebastian snorted in mild amusement. "As much as I would pay good money to see that Cooper, it won't help Blaine."

"I disagree," Blaine stated laughter coloring his voice as he pictured his laid-back brother taking on Kurt while Sebastian sat in a lawn chair watching. He met Sebastian's look with a small smile indicating to he other man that he would be okay now that his secret was known; it felt like a burden had been lifted from his chest. "I want to see Cooper going all incredible hulk on my behalf."

"For you, little brother, I'd turn into a green rage monster," Cooper kidded, puffing out his chest. They dissolved into laughter at the silliness and care-free feelings now that Blaine had shared a piece of himself with them.

"I'm so sorry B," Cooper said quietly once they had calmed their laughter. "If I had known -"

Blaine shrugged and waved away his apology. "You didn't and there is no use blaming yourself over something you had no control about. I just don't ever want to see Kurt again."

"Understandable," Cooper agreed. He shuffled uncomfortably again causing both Sebastian and Blaine to eye him wearily.

"What did you do, Cooper?" Sebastian demanded, knowing the other man had something to get off his chest.


	12. Chapter 12: Memory

**A/N: **You guys continue to astound me with your fantastic reviews. You keep them coming, and I'll try to get chapters out faster for you. Thank you for all your kind words.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Memory**

_ "What did you do, Cooper?" Sebastian demanded, knowing the other man had something to get off his chest._

Cooper shuffled uncomfortably before catching Blaine's eye. "Um, just promise you won't get angry?" he asked in a tentative voice of his brother. When Blaine refused to answer, he took a deep breath, and let it out. "I may or may not have let our parents know that Seb found you."

Blaine was quiet for moment, trying to process the words Cooper had uttered. His temper rising at his idiotic brother, Blaine spluttered, "You did _what_!?"

"I told Mom and Dad that you were back and staying with Sebastian," Cooper clarified, shrinking back slightly at the anger he could _feel_ coming off of Blaine in waves. "They think it would be best if you moved back to Ohio with them for a bit, at least until you get more comfortable being back with the civilized."

"You stupid, selfish son-of-a-bitch," Blaine bit out before hauling himself from the couch and stomping down the hall of the apartment. Both men in the living room winced as Sebastian's bedroom door was slammed shut.

"Okay, I can honestly say, I wasn't expecting that reaction," Cooper muttered, turning his gaze helpless on Sebastian.

"Really Cooper?" Sebastian's eyebrow rose in disbelief. "You didn't expect him to lose his temper with you after you set Kurt on him and then informed your parents, whom he hasn't gotten along with since he came out at fourteen, that he's back. Even suggesting he return to Ohio to live with them should have been a clue at what his reaction was going to be."

"Okay, maybe I should have considered that," Cooper admitted.

Sighing and shaking his head at the older Anderson's cluelessness, Sebastian replied, "Look, why don't you bunk down in the guest room and try to reason with him tomorrow? It's after midnight already, and as long as you don't insist on the topic of your parents, I'm sure you and Blaine can work out the rest of your problems. I'll try to calm him down and make him more receptive."

Cooper nodded his understanding and rose with Sebastian. "Alright," he agreed. "Hopefully you'll be able to get through to him." He paused and studied the lawyer carefully as he followed the other man down the hallway. "And Seb?"

"Yeah?" Sebastian pushed open the guest room door and indicated for Cooper to enter and situate himself.

"Thanks for taking him in. If I was a better brother he wouldn't need to rely on you as much."

"Cooper," Sebastian sighed in exasperation. "Blaine is my best friend. You're a fine brother and nobody could have expected you to drop everything; Blaine was missing for five years. Just be happy you now have time to make it up to him."

"Alright," Cooper agreed sadly, not completely convinced of what the other man was saying. "Good night Seb."

"Night Cooper."

Sebastian turned and entered his own room, not caring that only minutes before Blaine has slammed the door in a temper. Blaine was lying curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed, hugging one Sebastian's pillows to his chest. He noted with some amusement that Blaine was simply starring at the wall furiously, his face betraying the anger he was feeling.

"I don't know what the wall did to you, B, but if looks could turn things to stone – "

"That's not funny, Seb," Blaine huffed, rolling onto his back, watching as Sebastian began to head for the en-suite to start his nightly routine.

"Hey," Sebastian called back from the bathroom. "I'm not the one trying to mentally drill holes through the wall."

"Cooper is an idiot sometimes," Blaine muttered, heaving himself off the bed and dropping his jeans and t-shirt to the floor. His boxer briefs followed before he pulled on a pair of pajama pants Sebastian had insisted he wear until they got out to buy more clothing. He climbed back into the king size bed and waited for his best friend to return from his nightly rituals.

"Cooper is just trying to be your brother," Sebastian stated, turning off the overhead light and climbing into his side of the bed. He reached over and pulled Blaine into his embrace, spooning the other man from behind. "He may be clueless, but he does love you and only has good intentions, B. Yeah, sometimes their misguided, but he is trying so don't be too angry or hard on him."

"I'll try Seb," Blaine sighed, snuggling deeper into the arms holding him.

"That's all I can ask," Sebastian replied, dropping a light kiss to Blaine's hair. "Now sleep, B. You need your beauty rest if you're going to deal with your hyperactive, mentally delayed brother tomorrow."

Blaine laughed softly in reply before shutting his eyes and letting himself drift off in the comfort of Sebastian's embrace and protection.

* * *

_"I love you Blaine, "Kurt slurred, coming up behind his fiancé and crowding the other man against the sink. _

_"Are you drunk, Kurt?" Blaine asked, turning and trying to shove some distance between them; fighting off the panic that edged his consciousness when someone entered his personal space without invitation. He was still working on the issues which arose from his attack months ago with his therapist. The doctor said some of the residual effects could be because this was the second hate crime he had to deal with and mentally he was still trying to work through why someone would be that cruel. Trust, even of his future husband, would need to be relearned._

_"No," Kurt denied, pulling the word out. "The guys and I just stopped down on the corner for a few after a long day at work." He pushed Blaine further into the sink, stepping further into his boyfriend, ignoring the squirm of discomfort Blaine couldn't mask._

_Blaine frowned. "I thought we talked about this – "he started, his words cut off when Kurt leaned forward and kissed him. The panic swelled and he bite the lips on his own, feeling blood begin to well from a split lip. Kurt jerked back with a curse._

_"You stupid asshole," he growled, shoving Blaine hard against the counter at his back. Blaine winced at the impact, knowing that there would probably be a bruise tomorrow. Kurt was stronger when drunk, his anger fueled by the alcohol. "You're supposed to be my future husband, Blaine. How are we supposed to have a relationship when I can't even touch you?"_

_"I'm sorry," the dark-haired man replied, trying to edge away from the anger radiating from his boyfriend. "I'm trying, Kurt. Really. My therapist –"_

_"Damn you're fucking therapist, Blaine!" Kurt snarled. "You've been seeing her for months and she hasn't been helping you at all!" Kurt drew a deep breath, and softened his tone, trying to coax Blaine into agreement. "Why don't we just give intimacy a shot? Maybe it'll help?"_

_Blinking, Blaine tried to follow Kurt's train of thought as he jumped from anger to a soft loving tone. He didn't notice as Kurt gripped his wrist and yanked him back towards the light-haired man until he landed solidly against Kurt's chest. He squirmed again, trying to dislodge his future husband as he rained kisses along the column of Blaine's neck. "Please, Kurt, stop. I'm not ready. Please." He managed to pull free slightly, causing Kurt to sigh in disgust._

_"I'm not ready," he mimic darkly, shoving Blaine hard away from himself. Not expecting the brutal force, Blaine lost his footing, his head connecting with the countertop as he crashed to floor._

* * *

With a gasp, Blaine sat up in bed, pulling himself free from Sebastian's embrace. Phantom pain seemed to throb behind his ear as he recalled the argument between himself and Kurt on that horrible night. He had thought the memories lost completely, but realized sadly that the burden of telling someone what had actually occurred between himself and Kurt had loosened the hold his subconscious had on the memories. He lifted a hand and wiped at his eyes, sighing softly as he knew he would not be getting any more sleep that night.

Dragging himself from the bed, he padded from the room towards the kitchen. He knew what would help; it had been his friend on the streets after he had lost everything. Stopping long enough to get a cork screw, he slipped into the pantry and he pulled one of the wine bottles off the top shelf before settling onto the floor, not bothering with a glass. Pulling the cork from the bottle he took a swig, wondering if Sebastian and Nick knew of his little problem when he had first come to them. Alcohol had always made him insanely happy and he had resorted to it on more than one occasion in the last five years to keep himself from slipping too far down a path that would have ended with his body in the morgue. Keeping a happy buzz kept the feelings of inadequacy, anger, helplessness, and the horrible memories at bay. He took another swing, happy to drive the horrible memories off again as he continued to drown in his bottle.

* * *

**A/N: **Uh oh...Blaine's diving back into bad habits...


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